Book Review: Behold the Dawn by K.M. Weiland

I am not a fan of this genre but this author came highly recommended by a friend so when I got a chance to acquire a copy of this book in return for a review, I seized the opportunity. I was impressed by the representation of the era and I believe the author did a great job there and obviously had to do a lot of research. Although K.M. Weiland has undoubtedly great writing skills (especially where descriptions and character development are concerned), I found some elements in this book were quite weak.

The language for one; although I wouldn’t expect it to be original for this era (for who would be able to read and comprehend it anyway even if the author could speak it!) there were some words that struck me as odd, such as Annan calling his servant ‘Boyo’ or ‘Bucko”. I also have the impression that ‘Boyo’ is a Welsh word while Annan is Scottish.

The romance came across as quite soppy, in the style of a Harlequin romance which is okay if you are a fan of the genre but I didn’t expect the relevant clichés in a historical novel. I did enjoy the camaraderie between Annan and his delightful servant, Marek who was by far the most likeable character in the book. Annan is clearly a man tortured by guilt over the sins of his past but I didn’t manage to relate to him much. The object of his desire, Lady Mairead, was very likeable but the romance developed in a predictable way, without any surprises. Also, I found the many references to her lip getting stuck between her teeth quite annoying and if anything, not a sight I’d expect from a Lady.

Summing up, a good read, especially for those who enjoy medieval adventures. Maybe this is because it’s not my genre but other than the fun conversations between Annan and Marek, I found nothing else there that I deem memorable. Quite frankly, the mystery behind The Baptist and what happened in the past with the Bishop left me totally uninterested throughout.

I doubt I’ll try delving into another medieval adventure written by this author because of the aforementioned faults that personally put me off with this one. However, as K.M. Weiland struck me as a remarkable writer in many other respects, I will probably try another of her books sometime that depicts a different era and really hope to write a better review next time round.

 

 My rating:

3 stars

An action-packed medieval romance

But don’t just take my word for it; after all, this is not a preferred genre of mine. If you enjoy medieval adventures with a good measure of romance, then check it out on Amazon now and see what you think!